Websites
Interact with the periodic table like you've never interacted before. This bad boy has information on everything from an element's melting point to its half-life. There are even handy dandy links to the elements' Wikipedia pages. You know, just in case you had a burning desire to learn how Berkelium got its name.
In case you missed out on the first periodic table, here's another interactive model. This one is brought to you by NOVA and actually lets you filter the elements by a number of different criteria, including "most abundant in pyrotechnics." We always wanted to know what fireworks were made of.
This free (and cleverly named) educational website has narrated PowerPoint slides on biology basics and the chemistry of life. We apologize in advance for the narrator's voice. It can get a little...irksome.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences' website on proteins. Doesn't that sound like a party?
A website all about the wonders of natural polymers, with an emphasis on carbohydrates and proteins. Pardon the Comic Sans.
An educational website funded by the National Science Foundation. We're BFFs with the NSF. The "Chemistry" tab covers a variety of topics in basic chemistry.
The USGS's take on what makes water important. Hint: It isn't "raditude" or "surfability."
A Wisconsin-based website with a bit more information on lipids, including differences between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. There are also pictures! Really strange pictures that may or may not haunt your dreams and make you never want to consume a Double Double from In-N-Out ever again.
Wisconsin-based website with a slide show on peptide bond formation. It's the height of PowerPoint technology.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) webpages on acid rain. We would make a joke here, but acid rain is some pretty serious stuff. In fact, we hear it was the leading contributor to the Acid Wash Jeans Epidemic of the 1980s. (Disclaimer: The previous sentence was both factually incorrect and a terrible joke. Shmoop would like to apologize for any emotional distress it may have caused you.)
Audio
An NPR segment on the origin of the word atom. A transcript is also available if you're more of a visual learner.
A study 12 years in the making has finally revealed the true shape of an electron: a near-perfect sphere. Looks like those Styrofoam models we made as kids were correct after all.
Another NPR segment, this time on the possibility that protons are actually smaller than we previously thought. What can we say? We're NPRaholics.
Video
We still have the theme song from Bill Nye the Science Guy memorized. That's how good it was. And they are just as relevant today as they were...well, when we were in school. You guys don't need specific dates.
The Cassiopeia Project is a science resource for students and teachers alike. They make hi-def videos on all sorts of awesome subjects. We've linked to their foray into carbohydrates, but feel free to explore their YouTube channel for more.
Morgan Freeman talking about DNA. Need we say more?
A video of individual carbon atoms in action. It's like a supercharged (ha) game of Arkanoid.
Did you know that elephants are made of elements? Learn all about this and other fun facts from one of our favorite bands, They Might Be Giants. This song is off of their album Here Comes Science.
Images
A microscopic photograph of polyethylene foil from the Nikon Small World competition. It reminds us of Picasso's Cubism phase.